The Innocence of Love
by animal8
Summary: Set before Twilight. Edward reflects on the love of his family and their relationships, while pondering if he would ever gain his 'special someone'. This shows a more hopeful Edward as he moves out of his self pity and decides to enjoy having his family.


**The Innocence of Love**

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Disclaimer:

I do not own Twilight. Stephanie Meyer has that privilege, but I do own the idea for this fanfiction, so yay for me!! ;D

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(EPOV)

The snow was falling heavier now; the white flakes clumping together as they coated the ground in a blanket of ice. I sighed. This was sure to be another lonely winter. My family was preoccupied with their other halves, but I was alone. I had no one.

Usually, I wouldn't have minded it, but some days of my existence were absolutely miserable. I tilted my head back towards the window I was sitting at and stared out at the bleak, yet somehow fascinating, Canadian winter.

We had moved here just over a year ago; Alice had seen someone getting suspicious of us. The house was a perfect compliment to the white background, it was old fashioned but still fairly modern.

Outside, my siblings were having fun, throwing snowballs around and tackling each other. Even Rosalie had joined in the fun, despite her distaste for anything that could ruin her clothes.

I watched as Emmett charged at Jasper, and together they crashed to the ground, almost becoming buried under the impossibly thick layer of snow, as they continued to wrestle one another. Alice was laughing joyously, doubled over her arms which were wrapped around her middle. Rosalie stood next to her, leaning casually against a tree, with a wry smile hovering about her lips.

It seemed a very surreal moment in time and I was standing in the background, not included in that moment, and forced to watch as they enjoyed themselves. I wondered what it would be like to share this with a special someone of my own.

Whoever it was, I was sure they would be someone kind and caring and completely selfless. She would laugh and run with me as we played in the snow. It would be someone who trusted me enough to be with me and who I would share everything with.

We could join in together with my family's antics, standing there with Alice and Rosalie and watching as my brothers made fools of them selves. I would caress her face with the back of my hand, slowly leaning in to place a feather-light kiss on her soft lips. She would stare up at me with those innocent doe eyes.

But that would never be. I had been alone for nearly a hundred years and someone like me, a vampire, could never deserve to have anyone who was so pure and fresh and innocent.

I told myself this, but I watched as Jasper finally released Emmett from the head lock he had gotten him into, and crossed the snow blanketed yard to where Alice was standing, a gracious smile that was ever present for her love on her lips.

He stared down at her with love in his eyes as he bent down to capture her lips with his own. Emmett was cheering him in the distance, but I was only focused on them and they were only focused on each other.

She lifted her arms around his neck as his dipped to cradle her waist and they pulled the other closer to their own bodies, sharing this intimate moment between them. I looked away, feeling rude for intruding on their moment and turned to my other siblings.

They, too, were locked in a passionate embrace. But for all their strength and desire, their movements were still incredibly gentle, tender and loving as they moved together in synch. As their hands glided over the other, they became lost in their own world.

So maybe…if my siblings, and my parents for that matter, could find such love and fiery passion, in spite of what we were then…maybe…there could be hope for me as well.

Maybe I, too, would be able to find that someone who owned my heart and soul, who I would devote anything and everything to and who I would gladly give my life to protect…just maybe…It was possible, at the very least.

"Edward?" I turned to the voice and saw Alice standing in the doorway, her hair and clothes wet from the snow, staring at me with wide, concerned eyes. I smiled at her. "Are you okay?" She asked.

My smile broadened. "Never better, Alice. Never better," I assured her.

She cocked her head to the side. "Do you want to join us?" She offered. My sister was the closest to me of all my family, but I decided now that until I found my 'someone', my family would be everything.

"I'd love to, Alice," I accepted, grinning at her. She eyed me suspiciously. _What's gotten into you?_ I shook my head, still grinning. "Maybe you'll find out one day," I said mysteriously. "But until then…" I reached forward and quickly ruffled her hair before darting out the door.

"Edward!" She screeched after me as she gave chase, much to the amusement of everyone else. Soon, we were all rolling around without a care in the world, just enjoying being together. Carlisle and Esme stepped out onto the porch to watch us, Esme with a camera in hand.

With a flash, the moment was captured forever: the picture of me and my family, laughing and carefree with the snow falling softly around us.

I would make the most of my family. Every moment that I had with them was precious, I realised now, and I wasn't going to waste a second of it.

**Finis**

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Author's Note:

This was originally written for Twilight Novel Novice's Winter Challenge for Nov-Dec. However, it did not win. But that's all good because the winners really were some fantastic stories so I would recommend checking them out. The website is: 

**www(dot)twilightnovelnovice(dot)com**

**This is just a small oneshot which I thought would be good to post on Valentine's day. This hasn't been beta'd though, so this may be replaced with the beta'd version later on, once I have sent this off to my beta. So this was a very basic kind of story that I felt kind of sentimental about because it's showing a more hopeful side of Edward where he believes he will get his chance at love and actually deserve it ;D.**

**If you like this, please check out some of my other stories, though they may not be quite like this ;D Thanks so much for reading.**

**R~E~V~I~E~W~P~L~E~A~S~E**

**animal8 xx**


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